 It shows the actual population in an area broken down by sex and 5 year age

groups
 There are larger numbers of the population in the younger age groups showing a
higher birth rate.
 There are small numbers in the old age groups showing a low life expectancy.
 The dependency ratio is generally higher because of the greater proportion of
the young in the population.

Population growth and resources

 Increase in population may result in severe damage to the environment.
 Overpopulation causes poverty and excessive demands on health and social
services
 Vegetation will be removed and soil erosion will increase because
o More land will be cleared for agriculture
o More trees will be cut down for firewood and building materials
o More animals will be raised in areas which can not support many animals.

Waste Disposal
 Human activities such as farming, industry, mining and other daily home
activities generate waste which must be disposed of.
 Human waste can either be;

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 1. Bio degradable waste and,
2. Non bio degradable waste
 Bio degradable waste is waste which can be broken down by micro organism and
nutrients n the waste are recycled. Examples include dead plant leaves, dead
animals, food left overs etc
 Non bio degradable waste can not be broken down by micro organism. Examples
include plastic, metals and glass.
Non biodegradable waste can be disposed as follows;
1. It can be recycled and used again
2. The waste can be burnt
3. The waste can also be buried underground.

Industrial waste
 It includes chemical waste, gases and poisonous metals which pollute the
environment and air.
 The manufacture of asbestos and cement produces dust that causes diseases.
 Inhaling asbestos dust causes a disease called asbestosis and increases the
chances of lung cancer.
 Inhaling cement dust causes a disease called silicosis.
 Dust and smoke released from industries irritates the wall of the bronchi in the
lungs causing a disease called bronchitis..
 Chemical waste produced also pollutes water sources. If the waste contains
nitrates and sulphates, it will cause Eutrophication of water sources. These
nutrients will cause an increase in plant population in water bodies clogging them.

Sewage disposal
 Sewage is human excreta in the form of faeces and urine.
 Faeces and urine may carry pathogens which can be spread by vectors such as
flies.
 Sewage must therefore be disposed of safely to ensure a healthy community
 There are many methods of sewage disposal including;
o Pit Latrines
o Blair pit toilets
o Flush toilets
Pit Latrines
 A pit latrine consists of a deep hole in the groundinto which human waste is
deposited
 It should have a concrete platform for easy cleaning and a cover over the squat
hole to prevent flies getting in and out of the pit easily.
 May be used in isolated houses and villages
 Pit latrines should be at least 50m away from an under ground water supply to
avoid seepage of liquid waste into the water supply.
 The pit latrine should be built below the level of the water supply so that rain
water does not wash into the water supply.

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Care of latrines
 Water should be added from time to time in the pit to facilitate decay of waste
 Surface structures should be cleaned from time to time with disinfectant to
keep flies away but the disinfectant should not get into the pit to avoid killing
the bacteria that decomposes the waste.
 When the pit is full, it should be drained to empty it or filled with sand and a
new one built.

The Blair toilet.

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  It is an improvement of the pit latrine in the following ways;
1. It has a spiral structure which makes the interior dark which reduces
entry of flies into the toilet.
2. It has a vent pipe which carries odour high up in the air. Spiral design
also helps minimise odours.
3. The screen at the top of the vent pipe traps the few flies that find their
way into the pit.

The Flush toilet/the water closet

 Has a squatting pan and uses to carry the sewage waste to a place where the
waste is processed.
 The water in the pan seals the pipes to prevent odours from coming back into
the house.
 Sewage from flush toilets can be disposed of in one of the following ways;
1. Septic tanks
2. Biological filter method of sewage treatment
3. The activated sludge method of sewage treatment.
Septic Tanks

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  It consists of two tanks that are built underground and the tanks are sealed.
 Sewage from the toilet is carried by water into the first tank.
 Solid waste settles at the bottom of the tank and a thick scam forms on the
surface of the liquid.
 Anaerobic bacteria digest the solid waste at the bottom of the tank.
 Liquid waste flows from the first tank into the second tank.
 The second tank is made of loosely arranged bricks and stones piled together
with air spaces in between.
 Liquid waste is broken down by anaerobic bacteria before it soaks away into the
soil.
 When the first tank is full, the waste is drained away.

Sewage works
 Sewage from large communities is treated at sewage treatment plants. Two
methods are used at these plants:
1. The biological filter method and
2. The activated sludge method

The biological filter method

 In this method sewage passes through the following stages:

1. Screens – sewage from the city passes through screens which remove
large solids as stones, spoons, cloth etc
2. Grit Chamber – it is a pool where smaller solids as soil particles settle to
the bottom and are occasionally removed.
3. Sedimentation Tanks – solid organic waste settles as sludge at the
bottom of the tank and is drained, dried and used as a fertiliser.

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 4. Sprinklers – liquid from the sedimentation tanks is pumped into sprinklers
which spread the effluent over a bed of porous bricks. The liquid
effluent filters through the bricks into a humus tank leaving solids on the
bricks. The solids are broken down by aerobic bacteria on the bricks. The
bacteria are eaten by ciliates and the ciliates are eaten by midge larvae.
The larvae develops into different insects which fly away hence the name
‘biological’ filter method
5. The humus tank – the filtered liquid is collected in humus tanks where
remaining solids settle and are drained away to be dried and used as
fertiliser. The clear effluent is discharged into rivers.
NB: the discharged effluent contains nitrates and phosphates which promote plant
growth in rivers creating a problem called eutrophication. This reduces the quantities
of oxygen in the rivers killing animal life.

The Activated sludge method

 This method has the following methods:
1. Screens – traps large solids which are removed
2. Paddles – rollers which break faeces into smaller particles and are driven
by machines.
3. Settling Tank –grit settles to the bottom of the tank and is removed.
4. Aeration Tanks – air is bubbled through the liquid to supply aerobic
bacteria with oxygen. This activates the bacteria, which breaks down the
organic waste.
5. Sedimentation tank – allows the settling of sludge which is removed and
is taken to a digester.
6. The digester – it is a closed tank were anaerobic bacteria further breaks
down the sludge producing methane gas in the process. Methane gas is
used as a fuel, the sludge is removed, dried and used as a fertiliser and
the liquid is recycled.

Water
 Communities need clean and safe water. The most common causes of water
pollution are:
1. Animal and plant remains
2. Chemicals from agriculture and industry
3. Sewage
 Water may contain dissolved salts and pathogens which cause diseases.
 In Zimbabwe, drinking water is obtained from springs, shallow wells, deep wells,
boreholes and sand beds.

Springs
 These are outlets of underground water usually on the foot of hills or along
river beds.
 Water from a spring is of a very high purity provided the area is not
contaminated by waste.

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Shallow wells
 Contain water were the water table is close to the surface and drain water from
the top and subsoil.
 Water generally not very safe because it has moved a small distance through
the soil and the wells can be polluted by animals and people.
 The wells are usually not protected.

Deep wells
 These wells are deep and water is generally safe because it has moved a very
long distance through the soil hence it is well filtered.
 Absence of light in deep wells reduces chances of vectors polluting the water.
 Wells can be protected by building brick linings and concrete covers.

Purifying Water
 The most common impurities found in water are micro organisms, macro
organisms, suspended solids and dissolved gases and chemicals.
 All these make water unsafe to drink and must be removed to make it safe to
drink.
 The process of removing these substances is what is called water purification.
 Macro organisms and suspended materials are removed by filtering the water.
 Micro organisms are killed by boiling or chlorinating the water and,
 Dissolved substances are removed by using flocculants which change the
dissolved substances to solids so that they can be filtered.

The Water Treatment Plant

 A water treatment plant consists of a grid, settling tanks, filters, chlorination
tanks and storage tanks.
1. The Grid – removes macro organisms and large suspended materials like
twigs.
2. Settling tanks – a flocculent is added to the water and it binds tiny
suspended materials and solidifies dissolved materials forming solids.
Some of these settle to the bottom of the tank and are removed.
3. Filters – the water flows into sand filters which remove any suspended
particles in the water. The filtered water moves into chlorination tanks.
4. Chlorination tanks – chlorine is added to the water. Chlorine form an
unstable acid with the water which kills all the micro organisms making
the water safe to drink.
5. Storage tanks – the water is stored ready to be distributed to
households for drinking.

Notes compiled by M. MLILO “TO GOD BE THE GLORY” Page 258